Thursday, January 10, 2002

Stojko, Sandhu top men at Canadian championships

 HAMILTON (CP) -- Elvis Stojko and Emanuel Sandhu will be Canada's two men's singles skaters at the Olympic Winter Games next month, but what remains to be decided is which one goes to Salt Lake City as national champion.

 They will find out Saturday night.

 The table was set for a thrilling conclusion to the men's event at the 2002 nationals Thursday night when Sandhu edged Stojko in the short program. Stojko was second in the short, but is first overall on the strength of his qualifying session win Tuesday.

 There is no such drama surrounding world champions Jamie Sale of Red Deer, Alta., and David Pelletier of Sayabec, Que. They won the pairs short program with ease and are a slam dunk to repeat as national champions.

 Stojko and Sandhu, both from Richmond Hill, Ont., are in a league of their own in Canada. Jayson Denommee of Sherbrooke, Que., who doesn't have a quad in his repertoire, was third in the short and third overall.

 Sandhu, 21, won the title last year when Stojko didn't enter because of an injury, and many viewed this as the winter there might be a changing of the guard.

 Sandhu is showing it is possible. He landed a quad-double jump combo, put down a perfect triple Axel, and his triple Lutz was dead on. Those were the most difficult prescribed technical elements in the short, and he went through with flying colours. There was a hesitation in the middle of his combo, but it was insignificant.

 "I'm pleased, not just with the performance but how I handled myself mentally going into it," said Sandhu. "That was a good challenge for me and I took it on and accomplished what I wanted to do."

 Stojko followed him onto the ice. He botched his quad landing and took an automatic deduction. He landed the other required jumps, but he was angry at himself for the error that forced all nine judges to place him second in the short.

 "I'm angry because I didn't do what I was capable of doing," said Stojko. "I did everything perfect in the warmup and felt ready to go but it didn't happen the way I wanted it to.

 "I'm pissed off. I'm better than that. I can do it better than that. I'll regroup and set up for Saturday. It's that simple."

 This is the last national meet for Stojko, 29, who won world titles in 1994, 1995 and 1997, and Olympic silver in 1994 and 1998. He seeks a seventh Canadian title.

 Denommee, 24, last year's silver medallist, made only one significant mistake, turning a double jump instead of a planned triple, but he stayed on his feet to remain in contention for a medal.

 "I went cautious," he said. "Skating after Mr. Stojko and Mr. Sandhu was quite a challenge."

 Ben Ferreira, 22, the bronze medallist the last two years, was sixth in the short and seventh overall. His shot at the podium and the Winter Games is all but gone.

 The Edmonton skater, one of the most likeable men in the sport, fell on a quadruple toe loop that was to begin a quad-double combo. He also fell on a triple Axel attempt. The automatic deductions hit his technical merit marks hard. The prop provided by the judges on the artistic side kept him from disappearing down the standings.

 "It's been off all week just a little bit," he said of the quad.

 He's never landed one in competition. Yet, he insisted on trying one rather than playing it safe with a triple-double combo.

 "I'm not going to give up on it," he said. "I just really want to put it in there as a challenge to me.

 "Why do what I've already done (in the past)? I suffered the consequences but, you know, life goes on. I've got a great life. I've got a house, a car that's paid for, a wonderful girl I'm engaged to, and I'm just happy to be alive."

 In ice dancing, Shae-Lynn Bourne of Chatham, Ont., and Victor Kraatz of Vancouver took the first step towards a ninth title by getting top marks for their two compulsory dances.